This guy looks like the nicest man ever and based on this last weekend, I'd say looks are not deceiving.
There is a whole story as to how I got to see Stevie, but for the sake of this post I will concentrate on the concert and the man. When you see an artist like Stevie Wonder, there is bound to be disappointment. I knew that going into the concert. With other artists, you face the potential of not sounding like the record because they are only good in the studio, coming across like an arrogant jerk, being lost in the hype of an over zealous stage show. None of these were issues on Saturday Night when I saw Stevie Wonder's House full of Toys concert at the Nokia Live Theater. When I walked into the concert I remembered that it was also a toy drive and had a bit of fear..."what if they don't let me in because I don't have a wrapped gift." Well, things worked out just fine and I made my way into the new theater. It really is a great room. I was in the far far back but I still felt like I was right there. The sound quality was the best I'd ever heard in a venue of that size.
Before going into the room, I found out there would be no intermission and that the concert would go from 8:30 - 11:30. There was no opening act, the concert was actually a series of different artists performing with Stevie. The lights lowered and with no fanfare or announcement, Stevie walked on the simple stage and thanked everyone for coming out. I know this sounds lame, but when he addressed the crowd, it didn't feel like he was talking to the whole arena, it felt like he was talking to each of us as though we were right in front of us. Throughout the concert, he would chat with the crowd, he would call an audible and change the song in the middle. It was clear the band rehearsed a bunch of his songs and he would play an intro and the band would figure it out and dive in. It felt so personal, so fun. As a performer, Stevie still has it. Great voice, smooth upper register. He still has the talent and sounded amazing.
The disappointment I did experience was not hearing every song you love. A format like House full of Toys has a handful of guests making appearances and singing their own songs and Christmas classics alone and with Stevie. Then you throw in the fact that this is Stevie Wonder, who had dozens of hit songs. If they spent all 3 hours playing his best songs they'd maybe be able to work them all in. But what we'd miss is the personal times; interacting with the other artists, smiling and talking with the band, it endears you to this huge artist. It's what you expect out of the quintisential nice guy. As far as the Christmas Music, it put me right in the Holiday mood! I walked into the theater, not celebrating the season yet and left with a Christmas skip in my step. When Stevie started to perform Ave Maria, my friend turned to me and said "Wait until you hear this." She was right, I got teary. It was the highlight of the Christmas portion. As for the Stevie Wonder classics, I'd have to say Supersticious was my favorite song he played. I was clapping my hands and dancing (as much as I can) with joy. It was SO fun and really gave me the joy. I think the only way to reiterate how great of a concert it was and how much fun I had is the fact that I was shaking my groove thing. Enough Said. When it comes to amazing artists I've wanted to see live for the last 20 years...two down, one to go.
